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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Sweat rippled down Robert’s chest as he waited for Eliza to respond. It had not occurred to him until now that she might reject him. Had he only had one chance?

“Robert, I have a question before I respond?”

Smiling in relief, he nodded. That was his Eliza.

“If I had not left, would you have come to your senses?”

“In truth, I do not know. What I do know is that, once you were absent, I would still have felt the regret and loss. Whether it would have taken me days, weeks, or months to find myself begging for forgiveness, I do not know. But in truth, a life without you is unimaginable. And I have wasted too many years as it is–keeping us apart in all but words. I want you by my side. All that we share in a letter, we can share in the moment.”

She did not speak in her turmoil and happiness.

“Can you forgive me, Eliza?”

“I can, and I do. I am very frustrated that we both had to experience a stormy sea of emotions—and yes, you are a foolish man. I am glad you spoke words of your own, from your heart. They are all I have ever wanted, and I suspect I would never have heard them if you had not been so foolish. I owe a debt of gratitude to George.”

“I will not deny that I am not a man of soft words. I would have just come to the realisation and said ‘Marry me.’ Now I am coming to you as a man, desperate and full of yearning, who wants to know you will be mine. Will you, Eliza?”

“I am yours. I always have been. But before I offer anymore forgiveness, I need a bath, a hot meal, and for you to wrap me in your arms and not waste any more time. Only then shall I give you a kiss.”

They had spent every moment of the day together—he had even sat outside the privacy screen while she bathed.

He was bathing now and had asked her to wait for him in bed.

Eliza was ready for her husband-to-be to ravish her with kisses and caresses as she sprawled across the bed.

The tension from their unfinished lovemaking earlier in the day had boiled over.

He had taken every opportunity to kiss her as the day turned to night, and she knew those kisses spoke of regret.

As much as she enjoyed his grovelling, she wanted her incorrigible duke back.

While she wanted to reform him into a one-woman man, she still wanted him to be wicked just for her.

When he stepped into the room, she sat up to look at him and her mouth went dry. He was naked. And he was masculine perfection.

“I do not think I have earned enough of your favour to be loved by you tonight. But I would be a liar to deny how desperately I need you, Eliza.”

“Coming after me and not waiting days or months where we would both have been miserable is enough. And I desperately need you. I want to be one with you.”

Rising to her knees, she pulled her nightshift off.

“Come to me.”